Wynn Magazine - Las Vegas
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/660157
French toast with an egg set in a hole in its center, paired with double-breaded, buttermilk-soaked fried chicken. The same poultry preparation anchors one of the most popular lunch choices, the buttermilk fried chicken sandwich, on a challah bun with house-made ranch dressing and cole slaw. "You have to appeal to every taste here," says Zanelli. "Everyone in the two hotels comes for breakfast. At lunch you get shoppers and conventioneers, plus some players. For dinner we get a big pre-show crowd and big club crowd. It is very varied, but we wanted to elevate the three-meal restaurant. Using high-quality ingredients, we make as much as we can here from scratch, try to be creative, and do as much tableside preparation as we can." That means soups poured individually and a f lashy signature dessert, the Fleur "f lower pot cake": dark choc- olate cake inside a hard chocolate-shell "pot" sprayed the color of terra cotta. Serving three to four, the cake is presented whole and sliced tableside. "So many people started ordering them to go that I had to find special boxes. We make at least 30 a day." Other tableside f lair includes the rolling Bloody Mary cart at breakfast, and Moscow Mule cart the rest of the day. Designed by Wynn property mixologist Damian Cross, this includes a giant copper mule mug that holds an entire bottle of vodka and all the fixings, which is then ladled out like punch for the table in indi- vidual copper cups. To keep things seasonal and garden-style, Zanelli contracted with a local farmer and has booked an entire greenhouse to provide tomatoes, zucchini, arugula, and other vegetables. "I'm an East Coaster, but I have been out here long enough for my f lavor profile to lighten up. I use more spices, herbs, and acids, and we put a lot of f lavor in, but we are not cooking with butter or heav y cream," he notes. "It is related to the weather here in Vegas, and this space, which is ver y bright with lots of natural light. It's like eating on your sun porch." An American Wagyu ribeye cap is served with arugula salad, fork-mashed potatoes, trumpet mushrooms, and sauce au poivre. To keep things seasonal and garden-style, Zanelli has booked an entire greenhouse to provide tomatoes, zucchini, arugula, and other vegetables. 89